Cinemixtape

The Top 10 Films Of 2012

Like a professional driver on an obstacle course, “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” expertly avoids teen-movie cliches while breathing life into a dying genre. Ezra Miller is the standout, but the entire cast holds its own in this wonderful adaptation of Steven Chbosky’s book (coincidentally, written and directed by… Steven Chbosky). I wasn’t expecting much from the film, so I was really taken aback by some of its stronger moments. Overall, it has great character work and some inspired insights into the horror show that is high school.

David O. Russell’s latest is a little dopey at times, but the oustanding performances by Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper were apparently good enough to awaken a long-dormant Robert De Niro. This is the best he’s been in ages. The screenplay is appropriately as unfocused as its leads, and the picture is better for its messiness. One of the most heartfelt releases of the year, “Silver Linings Playbook” deserves all the acclaim it’s received.

“Amour” is a devastating piece of cinema from Michael Haneke, one that likely won’t garner many second viewings. In portraying one of life’s ugliest truths so vividly, Haneke has made a strikingly unique picture featuring two strong lead performances that’s certain to propagate discussion for years (if not decades) to come.

Many of the films on this list are absolutely stunning on a technical level, and “The Impossible” is up there with the best of them. It’s a remarkably simple, true story that deserved to be told (and deserves to be seen) on the big screen and Naomi Watts’ performance is one of the best of the year. Part summer blockbuster, part intimate drama, the piece is a rollercoaster of visuals and emotions and an eye-opening harbinger of top of the line special effects on a relatively low budget.

As life-affirming as it is awe-inspiring, Ang Lee’s “Life Of Pi” is a another of 2012’s special effects bonanzas paired with first class storytelling. The universality of a boy and his pet provided an easy access point by which to meditate on love, faith, and loss. Lee’s direction has never been better and Richard Parker is as wonderfully realized as any animated character in film history.

“Magic Mike” is a deft mix of crowd-pleaser (primarily aimed at females) and character study that makes a strong argument for digital photography. Projected at 4K resolution, Steven Soderbergh’s cinematography is lush, bordering on ultra-realism. The club scenes are expertly shot, but it’s the film’s quieter moments that make it one of the year’s best. Between this and “21 Jump Street,” Channing Tatum had a great year.

This is Wes Anderson’s most accomplished work to date, quite a feat considering his exceptional filmography. The screenplay is nice, full of the Wes-isms we’ve come to expect, but it’s the direction that soars. The film’s climax is one of the most memorable of 2012 and the cast is uniformly spectacular. Anderson has become one of the great auteurs in Hollywood and deserves all the success that comes his way.

Speaking of great direction, which seems to be the theme of this list, Affleck hit a grand slam with “Argo.” On a technical level, it’s astounding, but that shouldn’t detract from its nuanced screenplay and lively performances (Scoot McNairy, who had a breakout 2012, shines here). Liberties were taken with the story, but the real-world implications of these events remain anchored by Affleck’s decision-making – from the ingenius storyboarding in the opening credits to the heart-pounding suspense of the third act.

Joaquin Phoenix’s writhing, unsettling performance is flawless and Paul Thomas Anderson’s shot composition in unrivaled. My excitement to see “The Master” made the first viewing fly by. The second was much more challenging, making it obvious that each subsequent viewing of the film will be a process of peeling back different layers. Is it frequently hard to watch? Yes. Is it a master class in filmmaking? Absolutely.

“Flight” spoke to me more than any other film in 2012. It’s a wildly impressive fusion of a director, Robert Zemeckis, at the top of his game, a screenwriter, John Gatins, expertly blending personal experience with an array of creative narrative choices, and a tremendous lead performance by Denzel Washington. And while Washington has received most of the praise, Kelly Reilly, James Badge Dale, and the rest of the cast and crew deserve tons of credit for bringing this story to life. This is classic Hollywood filmmaking at its best, and for my money, the best film of 2012.